


Stay with Me

by Madiletio



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, College, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Road Trips, i think ??, i wrote this last year, it speeds up a bit so you might get whiplash, listen imma be real y'all, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-28
Updated: 2020-02-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:07:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22939171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madiletio/pseuds/Madiletio
Summary: "This ‘being banned from home’ thing is really bugging you, isn't it?""It's that obvious?""Yeah."He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a little antsy under her gaze.It was strange, really. When they were with everyone else he felt fine. Completely normal and unbothered. But when it was just the two of them, he felt nervous — anxious even.This had started to become a recurring thing over the course of a few weeks, and it was honestly beginning to get out of hand."Stay with me, then."
Relationships: Lance/Pidge | Katie Holt
Comments: 2
Kudos: 32





	Stay with Me

**Author's Note:**

> I can't believe I'm posting a fic again. It's been so long :''). This was the fic I wrote for the plance spring zine last year. I was honored to be able to write for the zine, along with many other amazing creators. I hope you guys enjoy this! <3

If someone had told Lance that he was going to spend his spring break road tripping alone with his childhood best friend 24 hours ago, chances are he would have laughed and brushed it off. 

But now? Not so much.

There was a low hum coming from the radio as he drove further out of town. His thoughts were racing and they weren't going to slow down anytime soon. 

Briefly, he glanced at Pidge, who was bundled up in blankets and dozing against the window. 

How he ended up here, with a million thoughts and feelings racing through his mind he wasn't sure. 

But he had a sneaking suspicion there was more to this than what Pidge let on. 

"You're nervous," she mumbled sleepily.

He sighed, pausing his tapping on the steering wheel to glance at her. "It’s that noticeable?"

"Afraid so."

He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a little antsy under her gaze. “I guess I’m just worried about what your parents are going to say” 

There was a brief silence before Pidge yawned and turned to him. “Don’t be. They love you, you know that.” 

“I know, I know it’s just…” He paused. “This is the first time in years I’m going to be seeing them again.” 

A brief moment passed them by before Pidge placed a hand on his shoulder. She squeezed it gently, trying to silently reassure him. 

“Everything will work out. You’ll see.” 

**_24 hours prior:_ **

“Ugh this blows!” Lance whined as he walked over to his friends, who were all gathered at a table, flooded with all of their various textbooks and laptops.

Everyone had been feeling the weight of college as they rushed to finish their projects before the holidays. Essays, exams, projects, all of it. And considering it was the last week before the break, there was no time to relax.

“Afternoon to you too, Lance,” Shiro quipped, placing his mug back onto the table once Lance had settled. “Nice to see you bright and peachy.”

Shiro only got a groan in response.

Hunk was the next one to speak. Looking at his friend with a bemused expression, he asked. “Lance. What’s wrong?”

Lance sat up but didn’t look at any of them, seemingly more interested in the sugar packets on the table. “My mom just called. I can’t go back home until the last week of spring break.”

“Man that’s rough buddy.” That remark earned Keith a small jab in the ribs.

Even if no one was particularly vocal about it, everyone had been counting down the days until spring break. Eagerly awaiting to leave the shitshow that was college and be back home with the comfort loved ones.

Lance especially.

“Want to know the reason why it’s being postponed?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Because my sister is flying in with her fiance to meet the parents for the first time. Mom wants to make some miraculous impression. So...no kids.”

Pidge had closed her laptop at this point. Her attention was fully on the conversation now. On  _ him  _ more specifically.

“So? You can still go back home can’t you? You’re not really a kid anymore.”

Lance looked up at her, taken slightly aback by her curt question, before quickly shaking his head. “Tell that to my mother. She’s convinced my brothers and I would pull some stunt like last time.”

That earned him a raised brow from the girl. “Seriously?”

Lance just shook his head, not willing to elaborate. Not in front of everyone else at least.

Hunk gave his friend a sympathetic smile and leaned over to squeeze his shoulder. “That really blows dude. Is there anything we can do?”

Lance just sighed and shook his head. “It’s fine; really, guys. I just needed to vent out my frustrations. Anyway it’s not that bad! At least I’ll have the dorm to myself for a while.” He perked back up. “Anyway! How are you guys?”

A few hours and a couple more coffees later, nearly everyone had left to go back to the dorms to start packing — save for Pidge, who had insisted on staying until she finished her essay, and Lance, who felt inclined to stay behind and keep her company.

After all, it’s not like he had anywhere else to be.

Plus, there was something that had always caught his attention about Pidge. Whether it be the tiny freckles that dusted her nose, or the way she bit her bottom lip subconsciously when focusing on a task, or how she— He immediately stopped where his mind was going, mentally slapping himself. 

It was nothing more than a friend crush. A simple “hey, I love you, dude” -type scenario.

"Is there something on my face?"

Lance jumped slightly. He had been zoning out again.

"Huh what? Oh, sorry, no.. Sorry, I just..." He felt his cheeks heat up and hoped to hell that she didn't notice the blush forming.

She nodded briefly before shutting her laptop and resting her hands on top of the lid.

"This ‘being banned from home’ thing is really bugging you, isn't it?"

"It's that obvious?"

"Yeah."

He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a little antsy under her gaze.

It was strange, really. When they were with everyone else he felt fine. Completely normal and unbothered. But when it was just the two of them, he felt nervous — anxious even.

This had started to become a recurring thing over the course of a few weeks, and it was honestly beginning to get out of hand.

"Stay with me, then."

He spluttered at the sudden offer.

"Sorry what?"

She gave him a small shrug and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, a faint blush dusting her cheeks."Stay with my family and I, I mean. It's usually just the three of us anyway so I think it'd thrill her to see another boy in the house. Of course if you don't—"

"No.” He cut her off. “I'd honestly really love that. When do we leave?"

She looked at him, her eyes wide with surprise before she looked at her phone and checked the time.

"Uhm...Seven hours from now?"

*

It was weird, being alone with Pidge in a close proximity for longer than a few hours.

They had switched their seats halfway through the trip so Lance could have some time to sit back and rest. And despite the fact that his long legs  _ just  _ fitted comfortably in the small car, he was feeling great.

He rested his chin in the palm of his hand while he looked out at the scenery, letting his mind wander.

It was going to be odd, spending a week with the Holts, especially since the last time they had seen each other was a few years ago. 

They had easily fallen into this comfortable silence a few hours back, but now it was beginning to feel a little too quiet. He had noticed Pidge staring out the window, watching the rocky terrain go by in a blur. Maybe she was overthinking everything that came to mind, just like he was.

"Can I ask you something?" He turned to look at her.

"Shoot."

"Why did you ask me to come? I mean — I'm grateful! Really, I am, but I'm also slightly confused."

She chewed on her bottom lip briefly, like she was thinking about her answer before replying.

"You're my best friend Lance. You'd do the same thing for me."

_ He would. Within a heartbeat. _

"I just thought you'd have a bit more fun with us, compared to being locked inside your dorm all week binge-playing Skyrim."

He laughed at that. "Yeah you're right. Still, thanks. It means a lot."

She grinned back at him and it made his heart catch in his throat. How could one person have this much of an effect on someone?

*

He wasn't sure when he had fallen asleep, but he woke up to Pidge gently shaking him awake.

They had pulled into a small roadside diner, and Lance was more than happy to get out of the micra to stretch his legs.

"Hey Lance? Wanna take a small break and get a milkshake?"

She pointed towards a small run-down diner that sat slightly off in the distance behind her.

He couldn't refuse.

The moment they stepped foot inside the building he felt like he’d been transported back to the 1950s. A jukebox was tucked into a corner, playing some random old-timey song for the very few patrons that lingered inside.

Two waitresses worked behind the counter, completing orders and refilling empty mugs when called by the patrons that found themselves there.

It definitely was something way, way different to the college cafeteria, that was for sure.

They sat down across from each other in a corner booth and picked up the menus from the table.

“Huh. This place is called Kalternecker's...” Lance murmured absently, mind preoccupied with the various options on the laminated cardboard. "Slightly weird name—"

“Oh come on, I’m sure you’ve heard worse names.”

Pouting, he placed the menu down, then swallowed a chuckle as Pidge furrowed her brows and skimmed over the menu. In a way, it was amusing to see Pidge like this again. To be fully focused on a menu, just like when they were kids ordering from their towns local diner. 

Oh no. His cheeks felt hot, and he was starting to feel fidgety and sweaty — he must be getting sick. Hadn’t Rachel said something like this when she caught the flu last year?

Pidge glanced up at him and shot him a smile, and his stomach did another flip when she returned her gaze to the menu.

Definitely the flu.

"Hey, uh, I'm uh...I'm going to go to the bathroom for a quick second."

Pidge gave a quiet hum in acknowledgment and that was all he needed to hear before he bolted for the restrooms. His heart was hammering against his ribcage as he locked the door.

"Holy shit.."

*

Pidge considered herself to a patient person, most of the time. She understood that people sometimes needed to step away to breathe or recharge from long hours of socialising.

Being left alone for twenty-five minutes in a dingy diner on the side of the road in the back end of nowhere, however, was just plain rude, and Pidge was insulted. 

Waitresses had approached her several times, asking if she was ready to order and each time she had had to give them an apologetic smile and say, "No, not yet, thanks."

But by the fourth time, she couldn't find herself to turn them down again. So she did what anyone in her position would do.

She ordered for the both of them and prayed that Lance would like whatever she ordered for him.

"Sorry." Lance cleared his throat as he sat back down across from her. "There was a queue."

She quirked an eyebrow. "Really?"

He disregarded her questioning look and instead took a sip of his lukewarm coffee.

*

It had been an impulse decision to stop and explore the next town on the road. 

They needed a break from driving anyway, so why not? 

“Lance! Check this out!” Pidge exclaimed excitedly. 

He swore he could see Pidge's eyes light up as they walked through the town. Sure, it might of been nothing more than a simple tourist stop but no amount of bought novelty could compare to the joy that the both of them felt when exploring someplace new.

“Hey look!” he exclaimed, grabbing her arm on instinct when something caught the corner of his eye. 

Pidge turned to him, brows furrowed in confusion as he pointed to a massive poster that was taped inside a shops window. 

_ Spring Fête _

“Lance, no.”

He turned to her, hoping that his puppy dog eyes would work. 

“We gotta get back on the road.”

He jutted his lip out. “Please? Just for five minutes?”

“I—”

*

Even though she didn't want to admit it, she was glad Lance had convinced her to check out the fête. 

They perused the stalls, Lance stopping to chat with the locals every so often, complimenting them on their crafts and talents before continuing his exploring. 

It was sweet, the way he lightened up the stall owners’ moods in a matter of seconds. It was like Lance had this domino effect on people and all she could do was watch it happen again and again. 

She loved seeing him like this. Completely carefree and happy. 

“Hey Pidge.” He nudged her “Do you want to go on some rides?” 

She thought about it for a minute before agreeing. “Only a few okay? Daylight is burning.” 

A grin broke out on Lance’s face and he dragged her in the direction of the bumper cars. 

A few rides somehow turned into every ride, and then some more ‘agains’. And if it wasn’t for the fact that the sun was beginning to set, they most likely would have gone on them for a second time. 

She groaned as Lance paused to admire the stalls for a second time. “Lance we really need to go now.” 

“I know, I know but—” His eyes lit up and he went running past her, grabbing her arm in the process to take her with him.

She had to stand on her tiptoes to see what had even excited Lance so much. The object stood out and immediately she let out a groan. Surely he wouldn’t-

“We can’t leave this fête without taking complimentary cringey photos Pidge! That’s basically fête blasphemy!” Lance exclaimed, and she groaned again.

“ _ Why _ , Lance?”

He didn't miss a beat. “Because the last time we went into one to these we were kids.” He was facing her now. “Please Pidge? Humor me on this. “

There wasn't much time for protesting. In a matter of seconds, they were being pushed into the photo booth. 

So she swallowed what little pride she had left and humored him. 

*

Pidge picked up the photo slip and a small smile formed on her lips. They looked so incredibly happy in them. She could have just been reaching for some sort of sign or hope, but in the photos looked more couple-y than they did friends. 

And she was okay with that.

Once they had finally returned to the car, dusk was rapidly creeping upon them. Nevertheless, they continued out onto the open road, grinning from the adereline. 

That's what they would have liked to have thought at least.

They had gotten roughly a few miles in before they heard a loud 'pop' and felt the car begin to swerve.

"What was that?!" Pidge sat up straighter while Lance looked purely like a deer in the headlights.

“The tire’s blown Pidge.” His voice shook as he slowly guided the car onto the side of the road.

“Please tell me you’re joking.”

He gave her a pointed look.

"Okay, yeah, that was a stupid question."

Before she had time to ask another question, Lance pulled off onto the side of the road, finally managing to bring the car to a stop. For a minute or two, they sat there in stunned silence, then burst out into fits of laughter.

From the looks of things, he wasn’t joking. Once they had finally calmed down from their laughing fit, Lance stepped outside of the car and scrutinized the flat, before sighing in defeat and stood up.

"Is it salvageable?

A sigh. “Afraid not Pidge."

She climbed out of the micra and stood behind him to see the damage for herself, sucking in a breath when she saw the shape of the flat tire.

"You do have a spare tire though, right?" Lance turned to her.

“Uhm...Maybe? I don’t think I’ve ever had a flat before so...”

He gave a brief nod before moving to the trunk of the car. It didn’t take long until she heard a string of curse words. A small part of her hoped that it was because he hit his head on the roof of the car, but she suspected it was worse.

“You..uh?..You alright there Lance?” she asked as she approached him.

“There’s no tire in here, Pidge.”

He turned around and sat on the edge of the trunk, facing her fully.

“What?” She rushed towards the boot, looking inside for herself.”You probably didn’t look in the right place.”

“It’s a trunk, Pidge. I doubt a tire can just up magically disappear in this space.”

She let out a defeated sigh after double-checking. “This can’t be happening.”

“Stay calm. I’ll just…” He pulled his phone out of his pocket, his expression dropping as soon as he turned it on. “...won’t call for help.”

“...There’s no reception is there?”

“Nope.”

“Shit.”

"With each passing moment the trees/desert/mountains/rocks around them grew harder and harder to make out, and the lack of cars passing by made them uneasy It took everything in Pidge's power to convince Lance that just because her car was tiny, didn't necessarily mean it was lightweight.

It then, in turn, took everything for Lance to convince her that it was more dangerous to try and walk back to the highway to flag a passing driver. Especially at nighttime.

So, as much as they didn't want to admit it, they were stranded.

*

She had finally convinced him to stay put until morning. It wasn’t ideal, but there wasn’t much they could necessarily do at the moment. So instead, they decide to set down a blanket on the dirt and sit there.

"I'm sorry, Lance." she mumbled

He looked at her, brows furrowing in slight confusion. "What for?"

Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, she spun around and sat down on top of the boot. "I don't know? For convincing you to spend your spring break with me, only to end up on the side of a road?"

Lance lowered himself down next to her, watching her intently.

"Guess I messed this up too..." she mumbled under her breath, kicking pebbles with the tip of her shoe.

There was a brief silence before Lance let out a breathy chuckle, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"You kidding me, Pidge? This is the most fun I've had in months!"

Her fidgeting stopped. "Deadset?"

He nudged her shoulder slightly, trying to prompt her to look at him, much to her reluctance. "Deadset."

Her eyes lit up and Lance felt his heartbeat quicken. This was going to be a long night, he could already tell. 

*

Pidge had laid out a blanket on the ground for them so they could stargaze, because there really wasn’t anything else they could do to pass the time, Unless they wanted to count the number of owl hoots or see who could spot the most bats, which was difficult when everything but the stars were black.

It had started out as a quiet night, with small talk about the constellations and other random things that came to mind. That then led them to talking about their life, and secrets they had long ago sworn to keep to themselves. 

And maybe it was the fact that they were being so open that prompted Lance, or maybe it was the look in her eyes that gave him that tiny surge of confidence he needed. 

His whisper was loud in the quiet. “I need to tell you something.” 

Pidge turned to him, curious eyes meeting his. 

“I uhm..” He took a deep breath. It was now or never. “I think I...I like you. Like,  _ like  _ like.”

There was a brief silence between them and he watched as Pidge's expression transformed from curious to shocked. 

“Of course I probably should have kept that to myself because I mean I know that you don't—”

His anxious rambling was cut off abruptly when Pidge threw herself at him, locking her lips onto his. 

Her lips were so soft against his chapped ones _.  _ His mind was racing at the same speed his heart was. Completely fast, electric. Addicting. How someone as tiny as Pidge could have this big of an effect on him was beyond him. 

But he loved the rush.

When they pulled away for air, Pidge placed a hand on his jaw and looked him in the eyes with a new-found  _ determination _ . 

“Hi,” she whispered. “So funny story... I think I may like you too. Like,  _ like _ like.”

Lance grinned and pulled her in for another kiss. 

They stayed like that for a long while. Of course, they still had some things to figure out, but their heads and hearts felt much more clearer than they had when they first left. 

For the first time in years, they both felt genuinely happy. 

They never wanted to forget this feeling of a newfound love that had blossomed in the spring. 

And they didn't, even when they returned home from the Holts. 

**Author's Note:**

> any thoughts would be greatly appericated. thank you for reading!


End file.
